Dare to Presume

Sometimes, when I write, there are specific situations or people I have in mind to address. Other times, there’s more of a general idea that I’m trying to communicate. But I’ve often looked back over past journals or posts I’ve written and noticed that there was probably no one who needed to hear the words I wrote more than I did in those moments.

Gordon MacDonald has a great chapter on journaling in Ordering Your Private World that describes this same thing and offers this further explanation:

“I dare to presume that His Spirit is often operative in the things I am choosing to think about and record.”

MacDonald was thinking specifically about journal writing that’s not necessarily intended for anyone else to read, anyway, but I wonder to what extent those of us who write and teach and preach would dare that same presumption? I know I have… and I want to more… but I haven’t always. But what if we lived with greater expectation and anticipation that the Holy Spirit was at work in what we were sharing, planning, & explaining? What if our classes, our readers, & our friends don’t really need our interpretation of this week’s lesson as much as they need the breath of fresh air that only the Divine Wind of God can provide?

That’s not to excuse poor planning of lessons or poor delivery of an important message, but the real power for the transformation that we seek is His, and we need to depend on Him to do His work as we do ours. What do you have to do this week? Will you dare to presume that the Spirit of God is operative as you contemplate and execute your work?

Just a quick additional thought… Daring to presume that God has something to say through you (and to you) is not license to assume that everything you say is what He wants to say. The audacity to “dare to presume” that I’m advocating here has to be harbored by the attitude of humility that shapes the environment in which the Spirit most often works. Outside of that humility, this presumption can be very damaging to both self and those nearby.

My prayer is that each of us will humbly position our lives to be filled with His action.